


Fever

by blustersquall



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age - Various Authors, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Fever, Fluff, Illness, Snuggling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-12
Updated: 2015-05-12
Packaged: 2018-03-30 04:05:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3922219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blustersquall/pseuds/blustersquall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aeryn Cousland comes down with a fever while she and her companions are camping out in the Frostbacks. In the tent she shares with Alistair she demands extreme measures to help her get well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fever

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fatally_Procrastinating](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fatally_Procrastinating/gifts).



> A gift for my friend fatally-procrastinating when she wasn't very well. :)

“Must you be so infuriating?” Morrigan’s angry growl caused conversation across camp to stop and all eyes to turn to her. Her body was rigid as she loomed over Alistair and Aeryn who sat by the fire warming themselves. “You are making me sick.”

“You know what you need, Morrigan?” Alistair peered up at her, smiling, “you need some love in your life.” He squeezed Aeryn’s hand on his knee, clutching her smaller fingers within his. Turning his head, he nudged his fellow Warden and kissed the side of her temple. “It does wonders for the soul.”

Aeryn glimpsed Morrigan, saw the corner of her right eye twitch.

“Oh, I forgot!” Alistair feigned ignorance, “you don’t have one.”

“Ugh.” Sneered Morrigan, “I had hoped to talk to you,” she jerked her finger at Aeryn, “without this lummox present. Come to me when you have extracted yourself from his stifling embrace.” The witch turned with a flourish and marched across the camp towards her own secluded tent and fire a few paces away. Far enough so she didn’t have to communicate with the others if she didn’t want to.

Conversation resumed steadily. Wynne and Zevran continued preparing dinner while Leliana plucked at her lute nearby. Aeryn’s mabari sat at the bards feet, howling softly along with the tune she played. Sten stood watch some distance away, while Oghren was already knee deep in Dwarven ale, and three sheets to the wind.

Prodding the fire with a long stick, Alistair grinned at Aeryn, pleased with himself for annoying Morrigan and getting some entertainment out of it. He expected her to look as amused, but found her expression still and her eyes quietly disapproving.

“That wasn’t a nice thing to say.”

“She deserved it.”

“You were goading her.” Aeryn chided.

Assuming his best pout, Alistair whined. “She goads and baits me all the time. You never tell her off.”

She shook her head. “I’m not telling you off.” A small sigh made her shoulders drop, “you’re a grown man Alistair, telling you off would be insulting and belittling. You’re above needing to be reprimanded like a child…”

Sensing there was more to Aeryn’s words, Alistair waited for her to continue. He watched the flames reflected in her eyes while she stared at the fire. She extended her hands towards it, rubbing her palms together for warmth.

When she didn’t speak for a few minutes, he prompted her. “But…?” He grasped her hands in his and began to warm them himself, stroking her fingers. He cupped his hands around her and blew hot air on them, then resumed rubbing and warming them.

Aeryn sighed, watching his hands stroking hers. Her skin trembled under his touch, her blood warmed. She found the roughness of his hands pleasing, a contrast to her own skin. “It would be nice to pass one day without the two of you bickering and barking at each other.”

“I’m not the only one to blame.” He told her, dropping his eyes and blushing, trying hard not to feel a little offended that the way Morrigan treated him was somehow his fault. “Morrigan has full control of herself.” He dropped Aeryn’s hands, his own going cold in his efforts to keep hers warm. “Why don’t you ask her not to pick on me, and then I’ll do the same.”

“I intend to.” Aeryn rubbed her hands again. No matter how hard she tried she seemed unable to get warm. The Frostbacks were not the most hospitable place to set up camp, even when their camp was situated in rocky bluffs and shielded from the worst of the weather. It was still bitingly cold and the last few days the weather had been so bad it had made travel next to impossible for their small party.

“What does she want to talk to you about, anyway?” Alistair asked, stretching his legs out before him. He rubbed his thighs through his thick trousers and tugged his cape around him in a further effort to keep out the chill. Aeryn nestled against his side, perching her head on his shoulder and without a thought he wrapped an arm around her waist tugging her closer for warmth and protection. Her body was shuddering and he could her how she tried to stop her teeth from chattering.

Aeryn shrugged, “the Grimmoire we found at the Circle I would imagine.”

“You gave that to her?”

“She seemed the person best suited to use it.” Explained Aeryn, “I didn’t see Wynne utilizing whatever magic was inside.”

It was Alistair’s turn to shrug. “Fair enough. I just hope there aren’t any spells in there to turn us into flies or something… because you know she’d try them on me first.” His comment made Aeryn chuckle and he smiled at that. Sometimes it was hard to get a grin onto her face, he always felt a small sense of accomplishment when he managed it.

Shuffling to be closer, Alistair wrapped both arms around Aeryn’s smaller body underneath her cape. He stroked vigorously, his hands up and down her arms and back in an attempt to warm her. He perched his chin on top of her head feeling, her shiver as a sudden blast of wind blew through the camp cutting through them all and chilling Alistair to the bone.

Through the evening, the weather worsened until the camp fire had almost burned down to only smoldering embers, unable to stay alight in the fast winds. After dinner, everyone retired to their tents for warmth and safety and for sleep, all of them still warn out from their prolonged trekking through the Deep Roads.

Aeryn was shivering worse than before when Alistair joined her in their tent. Under the blankets, still fully dressed in the warmest clothes she possessed, complete with a fur lined cape he could see her struggling to stay warm. Her fingers were pale, her skin almost translucent and as Alistair felt her forehead he realized she was burning up, that she wasn’t just cold, she had a fever.

Worry swelling up in his chest, he rose from the ground to fetch Wynne, she was a skilled healer after all and could probably fend of Aeryn’s illness in a few minutes. Aeryn snatching his wrist stopped him. Her forehead was sweaty, making her hair stick to her temple and her cheeks. It clumped her eyelashes and her fever made her whole face flushed red under the lantern light.

“I’m going to get Wynne.” Alistair told her, his voice as soft as he could make it. “She’ll heal you.”

“N-no.” Aeryn shook her head and pulled him with a weakened grasp. “Ju-just s-s-s-stay.” Her shivers were growing worse, almost violent, to him it looked like she was convulsing but her hands remained at his wrist, keeping him in place and he couldn’t find the strength to leave, even for a few seconds. He watched her take a deep breath, forcing her body to stop moving, albeit temporarily. “B-bed.”

“Bed?” Alistair repeated.

Aeryn shuffled, making room and he caught her meaning.

“Oh!” He climbed in beside her smothering the several blankets over them both, only to have Aeryn sit up and push them down her legs. He sat up beside her, “Aeryn, what are you–” he stopped short. His eyes widened, his mouth fell open slightly at the sight of her removing her clothes. She unfastened her cape and pulled off her long sleeved jerkin and the cotton tunic underneath. Then the long-sleeved woolen undershirt beneath that leaving her in her breast band. “What are you doing?!” Gaped Alistair, flushing. “Have you gone completely-”

“Need t-to break th-the fever.” Aeryn explained in her broke voice, “less l-layers t-the be-better.”

Confused, Alistair touched her shoulder. Her skin was burning under his palm and sticky with sweat. She continued undressing, wriggling out of the different layers of trousers she wore.

“You have a fever and want to get naked?”

“Just d-do it.” Even feverish, sweat slicked and trembing, Aeryn could give orders and looks that would make a High Dragon think twice. Alistair obeyed and quickly stripped out of his clothes, depositing them to the side of their shared bedroll with Aeryn’s.

He followed her underneath the blankets in nothing but his smalls. His skin prickled against the cold and he was blushing from his toes to his ears. Aeryn nestled beside him, her body still quaking. She draped one arm over his waist and Alistair rolled onto his side, wrapping her up in both arms and his legs, keeping her as close as possible.

She had laid out her cloak and his over their blankets in the hopes they would provide additional warmth.

Stroking her back, Aeryn’s sweat clung to her skin and he felt the occasional droplet slide across her flesh and along the dip of her spine, soaking into the thin bedroll beneath. He arced his hips away, fighting the blood rushing though his veins and the natural progression which came of having her so close and naked.

Resting his chin atop her head, he swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple grinding against her forehead.

“Y-you be.. better not b-be enj-enjoying this.” Shuddered Aeryn, muffled by the close proximity to him.

Alistair grinned, unseen by her. “Not in the least.” He kissed the top of her head, stroking his fingers through damp hair. “Are you sure this isn’t just a ploy to get me naked?”

“I ca-can hear you…” Aeryn fought to stop shaking and to speak clearly, “grinning!”

“It  _is_  a little funny.” Remarked Alistair tightening his hold and growing steadily more at ease. He liked the way her body felt against his, even as she jerked and quaked under her fever. He liked the sensation of her skin beneath his hands. Of her curled up against him tight, buried under the blankets for warmth.

“N-not to m-me.” Aeryn bit out.

He teased her hair, and caressed her back. “Go to sleep, Aeryn.” He planted a kiss on her sweaty brow. “You’ll feel better in the morning.”

 

* * *

 

 

Morning came with Aeryn’s mabari shuffling into the tent and his big nose in Alistair’s face, heaving dog breath and a loud bark unceremoniously jolting them both from sleep. Satisfied with his work, the dog lay across their feet and their clothes at the end of the bedroll. Cursing, Alistair rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

The night had been eventful. Neither he or Aeryn had slept well. Her fever had kept her up and more than once she had kicked the blankets off only to pull the back on again a few hours later. It seemed that when she did manage to sleep, her fever made the nightmares more vivid. She had cried out, waking Alistair and he had done all he could to soothe her between fever dreams.

None of that mattered now. The night was behind them and it was past dawn. Whether they traveled today was dependent entirely on how Aeryn’s fever was.

Rolling over, Alistair found she was awake, leaning up on her elbow, her head resting lazily in the palm of her hand , her hair an attractive tangled mess around her shoulders and her back. Her lips slid into a lazy smile, eyes bright, if a little blood shot.

“G'morning…” Alistair mumbled tentatively. She  _looked_  better. But appearances could be deceiving.

“Good morning,” she wriggled towards him and wasted no time in clambering over him to sit astride his hips, pinning his arms and hands down by his head.

Alistair swallowed, his mind suddenly alert and his body very,  _very_  awake. “You’re feeling better?”

“So much better.” She leaned down and kissed him, grinning against his mouth. “My fever broke during the night,” she explained, teasing his lips with the tip of her tongue, “thanks to you, I’m sure. I suppose it was a temporary illness.” Aeryn laced her fingers through his, holding his arms down.

“That’s good.” Sighed Alistair, fighting to keep his eyes open and his focus. It was hard though. Hard when Aeryn was still practically naked and on top of him. And behaving so…  _affectionately._  His lips tingled under the caress of her tongue, and he managed to fight back the urge to whimper when she kissed him fully, arcing her head and sweeping her tongue against his. 

His resolve crumbled.

He wriggled his hands free and raised his arms, placing his hands across her back. “That’s  _very_  good.” He mumbled, feeling the notches in Aeryn’s spine as he held her close and rolled them to be above her.

Their movement sent her mabari outside, chuffing indignantly at being disturbed.

Laughing wildly, Aeryn wrapped her legs around his hips chuckling into Alistair’s mouth while sliding her hands up into his hair, teasing her fingers around the short locks at the nape of his neck. He supported her back with his arms around her. He nipped her bottom lip, laughing before finding her mouth again, taking the time to kiss her long, and hard, his lips searing against hers.

Aeryn broke away, artfully dodging Alistair’s efforts to kiss her again. He stopped when she placed one hand over his mouth and settled for kissing her palm instead. “Thank you for being so kind last night,” said Aeryn, blushing a little and only holding Alistair’s gaze for brief moments, as if embarrassed. “I don’t… normally get sick. I’m sorry if I was… fussy.”

Grasping her hand, Alistair kissed down to the inside of her wrist, weaving his fingers between hers. “You were a nightmare.” He explained, smiling broadly at the shock that flooded her face. “You were ripping my clothes off. You wanted me right then and there.” Aeryn narrowed her eyes, pursed her lips. “But I said; ‘no Aeryn, you’re sick. I will look after you! Stop trying to get me naked!’ You were an animal.”

“I was nothing of the sort!” She rebuffed as he held her, her tone rising a few notches. “You’re so horrid.” She started to wriggle away.

“ _I_ was a perfect gentleman.” Alistair told her, rubbing his faint scruff of a beard across against her neck as Aeryn fought to get free. “ _You_  were clawing at me like a woman possessed.”

Aeryn gasped. “I would never!” She ruffled her fingers through her hair and Alistair tightened his hold, keeping her in place. He growled playfully, biting and kissing her shoulder and neck. He started to tickle her. “Help!” Cried Aeryn, laughing, “help! I’m being attacked by a raving lunatic in a guise of a man!”

There was a flurry of movement outside their tent and then the flap flew to ones side. Morrigan stood looming at the opening, her hair in disarray and wearing a long night gown looking as if she had only just woken up. A flame was conjured in her hand. Both Alistair and Aeryn watched her take in the scene before her.

She extinguished the fire and sneered, not bothering to hide the disgust or distaste. “Perhaps 'tis time you two move your tent further afield, hm? Not all wish to hear your… your…”

“Caboodling?” Alistair suggested helpfully, lifting his eyebrows.

“Quite.” Morrigan replied, her voice tight.

“You look lovely in the morning Morrigan,” teased Alistair, grinning up at her, “much better than you normally do. I like this dragged-through-a-hedge-backwards look”

“Shut up, fool.” Morrigan grunted. She rolled her eyes dramatically and turned, leaving with as quick a pace as she had appeared. The tent flap fell back into place leaving Aeryn and Alistair alone and in relative darkness once more.

Aeryn lay back on the bedroll. 

She traced her fingers down Alistair’s back, over his spine, following the cords and outlines of scars. Alistair chuckled through his nose. He looked at her, her smile, blithe smile and warm inviting eyes and found himself returning it. Pressing a soft, tender kiss to her lips, he stretched and snuggled against her, content to rest a little longer while waiting for the rest of their party to awaken.

“I mean it,” Aeryn said suddenly, “thank you for being so kind.” She kissed his forehead, wrapping her arms about him as she lay on her side.

“Think nothing of it.” Sighed Alistair, groaning on another stretch. He kissed the bridge of her nose. “It’s what you do when you care about someone.” He smiled lazily, feeling a threads of sleep beginning to wind around him.

“Still…” Aeryn nuzzled his cheek, “I’m grateful.”

Opening his eyes for a moment, Alistair returned her quiet, shy smile with one of his own. He kissed her mouth gently, holding her chin in his fingers and tilting her head up. “You’re welcome.” He mumbled against her lips before smothering her up in his arms and succumbing to slumber once more.


End file.
